One of the hottest trends in exercise right now is infrared workouts. By training muscles in infrared fitness spaces, people can experience a host of benefits, from improved cardiovascular performance to clearer skin and reduced muscle soreness. It’s all thanks to the power of infrared light, which heats the body and triggers a host of physiological benefits that can lead to more impactful exercises, no matter how you like to break a sweat.
When it comes to muscle recovery, infrared saunas can help you scale back soreness and inflammation post-workout without reducing the amount of effort you put into a routine. So, for those who like to train heavily, are professional athletes, or find their muscle soreness stopping them from working out as much as they’d like, infrared workouts could be a valuable tool.
The Impact of Infrared Exercise on Muscle Recovery
Infrared light works by penetrating the skin at wavelengths longer than visible light. It painlessly enters the body’s tissues and increases blood flow, relaxes arteries, and helps trigger the mitochondria in your cells to work faster.
When it comes to muscle recovery, infrared light helps reduce soreness and aid muscle growth by lowering inflammation. Increased blood flow to muscles during the workout helps prevent the subsequent swelling of tissues, which can be attributed to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Infrared light also helps boost muscle recovery by providing greater oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and tissues during a workout. The relaxing effect of infrared light also means there is less tension in the muscles, which can reduce spasms and cramps.
Overall, working out in an infrared sauna can help you feel more comfortable during and after a workout.
Additional Benefits of Infrared Exercise
Faster muscle recovery and reduced soreness are just two benefits of infrared exercise. It can also:
– Improve heart health
– Enhance skin through improved detox and circulation
– Trigger antioxidant production to lower oxidative stress
– Increase mood
– Reduce fatigue
– Lower muscle and joint pain
– Help relieve stress and anxiety
No matter how you workout, exposure to infrared light has numerous proven benefits that are excellent reasons to try exercise in the sauna room.
Best Types of Infrared Exercise
You should, however, start slow and stay hydrated. Working out in an infrared sauna can be taxing for new people, so it’s better to stick with a treadmill or bike ride than start with a fast-paced cardiovascular workout.
The best exercises in a sauna include isometric workouts that don’t require any equipment. Instead, you use your body weight to train your muscles and elevate your heart rate through a series of movements.
Yoga is a popular exercise that can be fast, slow, or even meditative in nature. You can also try Pilates, which offers a full-body sculpting workout while being gentle on the joints.
Remember, though, that infrared workouts require a properly equipped sauna designed for fitness. You should look for local providers that offer these types of workouts to help you lower your anxiety, speed up your muscle recovery, and feel better overall.